Diaper



June 6, 1939. J sw z 2,161,539

DIAPER Filed April 1 5, 1958 art/0W Thomas JSwarfiz,

Patented June 6, 1939 DIAPER Thomas J. Swartz, South Orange. N. J..assignor to The Thomas Textile 00., Inc; New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application April 15, 1938, .Serial No. 202,327

'5 Claims. (Cl. 139-383) The present invention relates to a baby diaperand particularly to such a diaper which will have greater absorptiveproperties at the places where such properties are most needed, but willnot be unduly bulky when applied to a baby.

The ordinary baby diaper now in common use comprises a piece of birdseyeor other cloth of uniform weave in both the warp and weft. The mostsatisfactory way of applying such diapers to babies is to fold themalong a central line so that the folded diaper is of double thickness.The baby is then laid upon the diaper with its waist portion overlyingone end of the folded diaper and with the other end thereof lyingbeneath the baby's legs. The lower end of the diaper is then pulled upbetween the babys legs and the corners of that end secured to thecorners of the other end at the side of the waist portion of the baby.As the lower end of the diaperis pulled up between the baby's legs, theside portions thereof are crowded in between the babys legs.

In order to render diapers more absorptive and less bulky between thebabys legs, it has been proposed to quilt or otherwise provide a thickerdiaper and to make it more or less form-fitting. It also has beenproposed to provide a diaper with a central portion having a pile whichwill render that part more absorptive. However, diapers so constructedare difficult to properly wash,

and when they are quilted it is very difficult to thoroughly dry them.For those and other reasons such diapers have not been entirelysatisfactory and, in addition, due to their high cost, have never comeinto general use. In order for a diaper to be in general demand by themasses it must be priced reasonably. The diaper as set forth herein willcost less than most diapers in general use today.

I have found that the ordinary baby diaper may be rendered moreabsorptive without the above disadvantages by so altering the weave ofthe cloth from which the diaper is made that the absorptivity of thediaper is increased at those places where it is most needed. A diaper so5 woven may have the absorptive capacity of an ordinary diaper ofsubstantially larger size. For example, I have found that a diaperapproximately 19" x 27" and constructed as hereinafter disclosed willnot only have a total absorp- 50 tive capacity at least equal to that ofa diaper 27" square made from the same material but woven from yarns ofuniform size and of the size such as are now used in weaving the usualtype of diaper, but will have an effective absorp- 55 tive capacity of adiaper of much larger size due to the fact that the absorptive capacityof the diaper is much greater at those places where that property ismost needed. As the overall area of the diaper will be less, the presentdiaper will be more comfortable to the baby and will present a moresatisfactory appearance.

More specifically, my invention comprises a baby diaper having sectionsor areas in which the warp yarns preferably are heavier and moreabsorptive and lie closer together than the yarns m in the othersections of the diaper. However, it is not necessary that the warp yarnsbe both heavier and more absorptive and lie closer together, as improvedresults may be obtained if the warp yarns are of uniform size throughoutII the diaper and merely lie closer together at the aforesaid sections,or if the yarns at those sec tions merely are larger or more absorptiveand are spaced a distance substantially equal to the spacing of the warpyarns at the other sections 20 of the diaper.

The sections or areas of the diaper which have increased absorptiveproperties preferably lie on opposite sides ol 9. central line so thatwhen the' diaper is folded those sections will lie over one 25 another.Those sections or areas also are preferably spaced from the side edgesof the diaper so that when the diaper is folded the superposed areaswill lie at the middle of the folded diaper, in one direction, and whenthe diaper is applied 30 to a baby will extend through the crotch.

The invention will be further described in connection with theaccompanying drawing but it is to be understood that such furtherillustration and explanation is by way of exemplification, 35 and thatthe invention is not limited thereto, except as may be specifically setforth in the sub-joined claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a baby diaper embody- 4U ing my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig.1, with a part broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view showing, the manner in which the diaper is applied to ababy: and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 2 but showing modified weavesfor the diaper.

The diaper i may be of birdseye, gauze. flannel, dobby weave, or of anyother cloth suitable for use in baby diapers, and preferably isrectangular in shape and formed from a piece of material of any desiredsize, e. g., a piece approximately 21" long cut from material 27" wide.After h'emming the length will be approximately 19", u

I 2 amuse although the width will not be diminished because the sideshave selvage edges.

'lhe diaper preferably has a central section 2 and end sections 3 and 4in which both the warp and the weft yarns are of substantially the samesize and weight and run the same number of ends as in diapers now incommon use. Between the central section 2 and each of the end sections 3and 4, and preferably substantially equi-distant from a central line 5on which the diaper is adapted to be folded before it is fastened abouta baby, the diaper has sections 6 and I which possess greater andquicker absorptive capacities than the sections 2, 3 and 4. Suchincreased absorptive properties may be imparted to those sections byusing a heavier or more absorptive yarn in the warp of those portions,by using a yarn in the warp of those sections which is of the same sizeas the yarns used in the warp of the sections 2, I and 4 but with theyarns of those sections spaced closer together, or by using both heavieror more absorptive warp yarns and spacing them closer together in thosesections.

Preferably the warp yarns of the sections 6 and i are both moreabsorptive and spaced closer together because it is under suchcircumstances that maximum absorptivity is imparted to those sections.Fig. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a diaper woven with such yarns inthe sections 6 I and I. i

If the sections 2, 3 and 4 are woven from 30's yarns running 56 ends inthe warp, the sections 6 and I may be woven with 15's yarn in the warprunning 112 ends. However, the exact number of ends or size of the warpyarns is not critical as long as the weave of the sections 6 and l issuch as to render those sections more absorptive than the sections 2, 3and 4.

When a diaper woven as set forth above is to be placed about a baby, itmay be folded on the central line so that the more absorptive section 6overlies and coincides with the more absorptive section I at the otherside of the diaper. As shown in Fig. 3, the baby is then laid upon the45 folded diaper with its body extending lengthwise of the moreabsorptive superposed sections 6 and I and with one end of the foldeddiaper lying beneath the waist section of the baby. The other end of thediaper is then pulled up between 50 the legs of the baby and the cornersof that end pinned or otherwise fastened to the corners of the other endof the folded diaper at the sides of the waist section of the baby. Whenthus applied, the superposed, more absorptive sections 6 65 and I form acentral band running from the waist line of the baby at its frontdownwardly through its crotch and then upwardly to the waist line at theback so that the portions possessing the more absorptive properties lieat the places where most 00 needed.

Due to the fact that the diaper in its finished condition will be only19 inches in length, there will be less bulkiness at the waist sectionwith the result that the diaper not only will be more .6 comfortable forthe baby but will present a neater appearance. However, the totalabsorptive capacity of the diaper is not diminished, but actually isgreater than an ordinary diaper 27 inches square.

70 As the areas Sand 1 are spaced from the side edges of the diaper, andthe band of greater absorptivity lies along the longitudinal center ofthe folded diaper, the side edges which have to be crowded in betweenthe baby's legs when the II diaper is applied are of normal thicknessand weight and add no bulkiness between the baby's less.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a-diagrammatic sectional view of a diaper inwhich the warp yarns of. the more absorptive sections or areas, one of 5which, 6', is shown, are of the same size as those in the lessabsorptive sections or areas but run 112 ends while the yarns in theless absorptive sections or areas run only 56 ends.

In Fig. 5, the warp yarns in the more absorptive sections or areas, oneof which, 4", is shown, are larger and more absorptive than the warpyarns of the lessabsorptive sections or areas but run the same number ofends as in the less absorptive sections or areas. Thus if the warp yarnsll of the less absorptive areas are 30 the warp yarns (I); the moreabsorptive sections or areas may be The arrangement of the moreabsorptive sections or areas of diapers made in accordance with 20 theforms of the invention diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 isthe same as in the diaper shown in Fig. 1.

Reference is made herein to a diaper made from material 2'?" wide andfinished 19" long. However, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to diapers of that particular width or length, and diapersembodying the invention may also be made in 24", or any other de siredwidth, with each of a different or of the 30 same length.

Tests made on a diaper woven in accordance with the present inventiondisclosed that the sections or areas of greater absorptivity werestronger in the filling and 83% in the warp than 85 the sections orareas of less absorptivity, which latter sections or areas were of theexact quality and weave of a standard birdseye diaper. The heaviersections or areas also gave 27% quicker absorbency. Thus it will be seenthat a diaper made in accordance with the present invention has all ofthe advantages of the common form of diaper now in use and in additionpermits the use of a smaller diaper which actually possesses greaterabsorptive properties, and is stronger at those places whereabsorptivity and strength are most needed.

I claim:

1. A baby diaper having two sections of greater absorptivity than othersections of the diaper located at opposite sides of and substantiallyequidistant from a line on which the diaper may bev folded before beingapplied to a baby, said sections being spaced apart an appreciabledistance and composed of yarns of greater absorptivity extending in onedirection, said sections of greater absorptivity also being spaced,respectively, an appreciable distance from opposite side edges of thediaper so that when the diaper is folded on said line said sections willbe superposed and lie inwardly an appreciable distance from oppositesides of the folded diaper.

2. A woven diaper having two sections in which the weave is such as toprovide a. greater amount of material in said sections than in othersections of the diaper, said sections being spaced apart an appreciabledistance and located at opposite sides of a line on which the diaper maybe folded before being applied to a baby, said sections which 10 includethe greater amount of material also being spaced, respectively, anappreciable distance from opposite side edges of the diaper so that whenthe diaper is folded on said line one of said sections including agreater amount of material will 1 overlie the other of said sectionsincluding a greater amount of material.

3. A woven baby diaper having two sections in which the yarns extendingin one direction are spaced closer together than the corresponding yarnsin other sections of the diaper to make said sections in which the yarnsare spaced closer to gether more absorptive than the other sections ofthe diaper, said sections in which the yarns extending in one directionare spaced closer together being spaced apart an appreciable distanceand being located at opposite sides of a line on which the diaper may befolded before being applied to a baby, said sections in which the yarnsextending in one direction are spaced closer together also being spaced,respectively, an appreciable distance from opposite side edges of thediaper so that when the diaper is folded on said line one of saidsections in which the yarns extending in one direction are spa'cedcloser together will overlie the other of said sections in which theyarns are spaced closer together.

4. A woven baby diaper having two sections in which the yarns extendingin one direction are larger than the corresponding yarns in othersections of the diaper to make said sections in which the yarns arelarger more absorptive than the other sections of the diaper, saidsections in which the yarns extending in one direction are larger beingspaced apart an appreciable distance and being located at opposite sidesof a line on which the diaper may be folded before being applied to ababy, said sections in which the yarns extending in-one direction arelarger alsobeing spaced, respectively, an appreciable distancefromopposite side edges of thediaper so that when the diaper is foldedon said line one of said sections in which the yarns extending in onedirection are larger will overlie the other of' said sections in whichthe yarns are larger.

5. A woven baby diaper having two sections in which the yarns extendingin one direction are larger and spaced closer together than thecorresponding yarns in other sections of the diaper to make saidsections in which the yarns are larger and spaced closer together moreabsorptive than the other sections of the diaper, said sections in whichthe yarns extending in one direction are larger and spaced closertogether being spaced apart an appreciable distance and being located atopposite sides of a line on which the diaper may be folded before beingapplied to a baby, said sections in which the yarns extending in onedirection are larger and spaced closer together also being spacerespectively, an appreciable distance from opposite side edges of thediaper so that when the diaper is folded on said line one of saidsections in which the yarns extending in one direction are larger andspaced closer together will overlie the other of said sections in whichthe yarns are larger and spaced closer together.

THOMAS J. SWARTZ.

